Menzies pledges $12m, 1,000 jobs in Dhaka airport bid

UK-based global aviation services giant Menzies Aviation has put a $12 million investment and more than 1,000 direct jobs on the table in a high-stakes bid to become the second passenger-handling operator at the new Terminal 3 of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

The company said its proposed operation could generate a much broader economic impact, supporting more than 4,500 indirect jobs across Bangladesh's supply chains and wider economy during its first year.

Menzies executives unveiled the investment and employment plan at a press conference at a city hotel on Thursday, positioning the proposed operation as not merely an airport services venture but a major investment in Bangladesh's aviation workforce and supporting industries.

The UK-based company is competing for the passenger-handling contract against a field of international aviation-services operators, including Çelebi Aviation, dnata, Swissport and SATS.

Charles Wyley, executive vice-president for the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and John Henderson, senior vice-president of operations for the Middle East and Africa at Menzies, addressed the briefing.

Sakib Ershad, director of trade and investment at the British High Commission in Dhaka, also spoke at the event.
Menzies said the proposed $12 million investment would be directed towards airport operations, workforce development and building Bangladesh's local aviation capabilities.

At the centre of the plan is the establishment of a Menzies Training Academy in Dhaka, which would provide international-standard aviation training while creating long-term career pathways for Bangladeshi nationals.

The company also plans to work with local universities, colleges and schools to develop aviation-focused academic programmes, internships and graduate career pathways.

Such partnerships, Menzies officials said, would create a pipeline of skilled Bangladeshi aviation professionals while facilitating the transfer of international operational, technical and managerial expertise into the country's rapidly developing aviation sector.

The company said Bangladeshi employees would also have opportunities to develop careers within the wider international Menzies network, potentially giving local aviation professionals exposure to global airport operations.

Menzies also intends to manufacture and source uniforms locally, opening potential business opportunities for Bangladesh's textile and garment manufacturers and increasing domestic participation in its supply chain.

The company said the move would allow local businesses to capture a greater share of the economic activity generated by airport operations while strengthening linkages between the aviation and manufacturing sectors.

Beyond the headline investment and employment figures, Menzies said its proposal was designed to create a sustainable national aviation workforce through local recruitment, professional training, leadership development and long-term knowledge transfer.

The planned recruitment of more than 1,000 direct employees in the first year, combined with the projected 4,500-plus indirect jobs, could make the operation a significant private-sector employment generator if Menzies secures the contract.

The bid comes as Bangladesh prepares to bring Terminal 3 into partial operation, marking a major expansion of the country's principal international aviation gateway.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh aims to begin partial operations at Terminal 3 by December 16 this year, putting pressure on operators and airport authorities to ensure that passenger-handling, ground services and supporting systems are ready for the terminal's launch.